There is a whole lot of mix-up out there. Social media marketing and digital marketing are two terms that are used interchangeably. If you do not know the difference, the following information should serve as a good guide going ahead.
More so, social media marketing, London or the world over, is an independent sub-industry already. With the internet having kicked off about two decades ago, social media marketing is relatively new. Although exciting, it is still a growing ecosystem with immense potential. There is a lot to take in when it comes to social media marketing strategy.
Know your basics
For beginners, knowing the difference between digital marketing and social media marketing is paramount. However, the essence of marketing stays the same across these two types. Marketing is the act of pushing products and services and making them noticeable to fuel revenues.
What is digital marketing?
Digital marketing is the act of promoting goods and services using electronic channels. These channels help achieve goals and objectives such as growth in sales and profits or brand awareness. The electronic media are both internet-based and non-internet based.
The former includes content marketing, Search Engine Optimization or SEO, Search Engine Marketing or SEM, email marketing and social media marketing. The latter comprises radio and television. An indispensable point to note here is that digital marketing has been around for quite some time now, even before the advent of the internet and social media.
To put things in perspective, this write up is a part of digital marketing; it falls under content marketing. However, the blog is likely to be influenced by the advent of SEO, SEM and others.
What is social media marketing?
Social media marketing thrives by using social networks as a marketing tool. It is a channel or component of digital marketing. A social network is a website or application that encourages social interactions. Chief among them are Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. It also includes website blogs and forums such as Quora.
The Functionality of Digital and Social Media Marketing
Digital Marketing
The gambit of digital marketing is extensive and is the lifeblood of corporations today. Digital marketing helps fulfil several objectives. These are sales and profit growth, raising awareness, value addition using inbound marketing strategies, and promoting your products and services, among others.
Digital marketing is more about informing the public about your goods and services. Be it email or content marketing; they make for initial contact points or information pieces. Content marketing includes websites and blogs that opens up the realm to short-form and long-form write-ups. Radio and television are conventional channels that have a considerable standing even today. Television offers a visual insight into how and where the product or service is used. Radio, on the other hand, provides an audio-based insight into the utility and function.
Social Media Marketing
The hallmark of social media is to foster interactions and connections and provide a source for engagement and entertainment for users. It is for creating content pieces to pander and even influence social media audiences. With that said, the overarching aim of social media marketing is to curate content that builds engagement and increases brand awareness through trending hashtags, online quizzes and competitions, among others. Another point to note is that social media marketing can be free or paid or a blend of both. This is where the advent of the Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising Campaign comes into play. PPC is a crucial element of any digital marketing strategy and it is recommended to be done by a PPC agency in London.
Social media marketing opens up the floor for creativity and imagination. Businesses and brands should form allegiances with humour and wit to stay ahead of the social media content game. Additionally, brands can garner eyeballs by jumping on the bandwagon of trending hashtags by curating user-generated social media campaigns. The Earth Day campaign by Hyundai is an excellent example.
Hyundai #DarkSelfieChallenge
On April 22, 2020, Hyundai, the South Korean automobile brand, leveraged upon the theme of sustainability and environmental conservation on Earth Day. Hyundai devised the #DarkSelfieChallenge, a theme-based quiz, in which it asked social media users and followers to express themselves photographically in the dark. The purpose was to create momentum around the issue of climate change. The incentive was an exclusive prize from BTS, the South Korean K-POP band.
More so, cometh any mishap or mishandling, social media is an excellent way of clearing the air and turning the narrative. The 2017 fiasco of KFC is a classic telling tale in the social media age.
KFC “#ChickenCrisis” explained
In October 2017, KFC terminated its relationship with Bidvest Logistics and went with Quick Service Logistics and DHL. This caused a supply chain fiasco that forced KFC to shut down hundreds of stores in the UK. The losses for the fast-food brand ran up to £1 million in revenues daily.
KFC allied with humour and humility to say “we’re sorry”. Clever and classic wordplay came to the rescue and helped flip the narrative for KFC. The brand received praises for standing up to the issue, such that over 700 articles were dedicated to KFC ‘FCK’. This alteration and change in the letters garnered positive sentiments for KFC. So profound was the impact that this KFC case study had featured among the Newsworks award winners in 2018; for the Best Topical Campaign.
Summary
Digital marketing and Social media marketing are often used interchangeably. But, there is a stark difference. Digital marketing is made of all electronic media, both internet and off-internet platforms. The former includes content marketing, emailing marketing, SEO and others. The latter comprises radio and television. However, social media marketing uses social networks such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Digital marketing is more inclined towards informative and promotional content, whereas social media marketing is about engagement and interaction. Another benefit of social media is it helps in crisis management. The 2017 fiasco of KFC is a classic example. Additionally, social media helps devise theme-based quizzes or competitions, such as the one curated by Hyundai on Earth Day.
